Cass County, Michigan

Cass County is located in southwest Michigan. It was organized
in 1829 and named after the former territorial governor, Lewis Cass. This area
was originally inhabited by 3 bands of Potawatomis, with European settlers
moving there in the 1820ís. An old Indian trail ran east/west across the
southern portion of the county, which later became US-12 and for awhile was the
main road from Chicago to Detroit.

Cass County also had its role in the Civil War as a location for
the Underground Railroad. Assisted largely by Quakers, many Black slaves were
successfully settled there. The William Jones House, just outside of Cassopolis
to the east, represented a successful "end of the line" to many.

Today, Cass County is both a rich agricultural area as well as a
popular tourist spot. It plays a major part in pork production in Michigan as
well as other feed crops like soybeans and corn. It also contains over 250 lakes
and several nature preserves, which makes for great water sports, hiking and
bird-watching. Its largest community is Dowagiac to the northwest, with
Cassopolis, the second largest city, as the county seat.